2008 AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON: ROUND 19 - AFL'S TOM WILLS ROUND
Brisbane Lions (9-9, 9th - 36 points) v Hawthorn Hawks (14-4, 3rd - 56 points)
Saturday 9 August 2008
Aurora Stadium, Launceston, Tasmania @ 2:10pm (local time)

2008 AFLQ STATE LEAGUE SEASON: ROUND 17
Suncoast Lions (9-6-1, 3rd) v Zillmere (9-7, 4th)
Friday 8 August 2008
O'Callaghan Park, Zillmere Road, Zillmere @ 6:40pm (local time)

PUBLIC TRAINING SESSIONS
Wednesday 6 August: The Gabba @ 3pm.
Friday 8 August: Aurora Stadium, Launceston, Tasmania @ 5pm.

CURRENT INJURY LIST
Mitch Clark (Quad) - TBA
Matthew Tyler (Back) - Test
Joel Macdonald (Ankle) - Test
Matt Austin (Achilles) - Test
Daniel Dzufer (Ankle) - Test
Nigel Lappin (Achilles) - TBC
Haydn Kiel (Hamstring) - 2-4 weeks
Matthew Leuenberger (Knee) - Season

FLIGHT DETAILS
Friday 8 August: Lions players depart Brisbane Domestic Airport @ 12:15pm.
Saturday 9 August: Lions players arrive back at Brisbane Domestic Airport @ 9:40pm.

TOM WILLS ROUND - Who is he?
Thomas Wentworth Wills, born 19 August 1835 - died 3 May 1880.
He was an Australian all-round sportsman who is credited along with his cousin Henry Colden Harrison as one of the inventors of Australian Rules football.
He participated in the first recorded game played in Australia that occurred in the Richmond Paddock (now Yarra Park) on 31 July 1858.
On 7 August 1858, Wills umpired a match between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School. A statue commemorating this event which features Wills as umpire was erected at the MCC members' entry of the MCG.
On 17 May 1859, Wills chaired a meeting of the Melbourne Football Club which wrote down the sport's rules for the first time. During that year, he was also involved in the formation of both the Melbourne and Geelong clubs.


All Australians are being encouraged to pick up a football and Kick Around Australia this Thursday 7 August - the day that marks exactly 150 years since the first recorded game of Australian Football was played.

Kick Around Australia Day will provide an opportunity for all Australians to join the celebrations and wear their football colours or bring a footy to work or school and have a kick.

Australian Football 150 Years Ambassador Kevin Sheedy said the event would be another opportunity for all supporters to celebrate Australian Football.

"I encourage all Australians - students, families and workers across the country - to get involved in the Kick Around Australia Day festivities by having a kick wherever they are on the day," Sheedy said.

"Don't leave the house without a football; when I go to work I always have a footy in my car."

In the lead up to 7 August, Australian identities from across the sporting, political, community and entertainment worlds have been featuring with a football on the official event website 150years.com.au

Primary and secondary schools around the country have been busy preparing for football's big day, with many schools taking part in one of the football themed curriculum programs that have been tailored to help students learn and celebrate 150 years of Australian Football.

School students will be taking part in activities including: wearing their footy colours to school, competing in kicking and handballing competitions and completing football themed lessons.

AFL players will also help students celebrate Australian Football 150 years with a number of AFL players visiting schools to take part in the Kick Around Australia activities.

Organisations across Australia are invited to take part in Kick Around Australia Day by setting up their own football related activities and encouraging employees to wear their team's colours to work on the day or to bring a football and have a kick.

To find out more about Kick Around Australia Day, for images or for school programs, please contact Liz Muling 03 9643 1979 or visit 150years.com.au

On 7 August 2008 it will be exactly 150 years since the first recorded game of Australian Football. It was played near the site of today's MCG between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar with 40 gents per side, a spherical ball, no point posts and it took three Saturdays to complete.

The match followed the Rugby School custom of the 'best of three goals' - whichever side kicked two goals first would win.

After a goal to each team on 7 August, the game was postponed at dusk until Saturday 21 August 1858. On this second day, another three-hour hard struggle was fought with both teams unsuccessful at grabbing that elusive winning goal. The game was again adjourned for a fortnight.

The last day of the schoolboys' match was contested on Saturday 4 September by a struggling mass of lads and was ultimately drawn when the sun went down. Australian Football was born...

2008 AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON: ROUND 19, HEAD TO HEAD
The Lions have won 12 of their 20 matches against Hawthorn for a winning percentage of 60%.

LAST FOUR YEARS
2005: Round 4 L 10.9 (69) 18.7 (115) MCG - 46
2005: Round 19 W 18.13 (121) 11.14 (80) Gabba +41
2006: Round 7 W 16.10 (106) 9.12 (66) Carrara (N) +40
2006: Round 16 W 11.18 (84) 11.8 (74) Gabba (N) +10
2007: Round 1 W 9.15 (69) 6.8 (44) Gabba (N) +25
2007: Round 19 L 13.13 (91) 17.13 (115) MCG - 24
2008: Round 5 L 17.16 (118) 19.16 (130) Gabba (N) - 12

FAST FOOTY FACTS
Current AFL Statistical Leaderboards:
Goals: =3rd Daniel Bradshaw - 63, 5th Jonathan Brown - 62
Goal Assists: 2nd Luke Power - 20, =6th Anthony Corrie - 18
Handballs: =8th Simon Black - 236
Disposals: =9th Luke Power - 452
Contested Possessions: 2nd Simon Black - 183, 8th Luke Power - 160
Centre Clearances: 2nd Simon Black - 96
Marks: =5th Jonathan Brown - 140
Contested Marks: 5th Jonathan Brown - 36, =8th Daniel Bradshaw - 32
Tackles: =10th Luke Power - 86
Hitouts: 5th Jamie Charman - 342
One percenters: 1st Daniel Merrett - 123, 3rd Joel Patfull - 106
Rebound 50s: =10th Josh Drummond - 63

Michael Rischitelli collected a personal career-high 30 disposals last Saturday night against North Melbourne at Gold Coast Stadium.

West Australian mature-age draftee Bradd Dalziell collected a personal career-high 34 disposals last Saturday night against North Melbourne at Gold Coast Stadium. The 21 year-old has averaged 28 touches since making his AFL debut against West Coast in Round 16.

Albert Proud collected a personal career-high 21 disposals last Saturday night against North Melbourne at Gold Coast Stadium.

Lions spearhead Daniel Bradshaw has kicked a personal best 63 goals so far this season. His previous best tally for a single season was 59 goals back in 2006.

The Lions have been more accurate than their opponents in front of goals in only six matches so far this season.

The Brisbane Lions have never played a match for premiership points in Tasmania since the merger in 1997.

The Lions' most recent match in Tasmania was at York Park in Launceston against Hawthorn in the first round of the 2004 pre-season competition. On that occasion, the Lions prevailed by 37 points on the back of five goals from Jonathan Brown.

The Lions and Hawks currently have the two most dangerous forward-line duos in the competition. Hawthorn team-mates Lance 'Buddy' Franklin (85 goals) and Jarryd Roughead (58 goals) have kicked 143 goals between them to date this season.

Lions Daniel Bradshaw (63 goals) and Jonathan Brown (62 goals) have combined for 125 goals despite missing two matches and one match respectively. All four players are among the league's top ten goal-kickers for 2008.

The Lions have slipped out of the AFL's top eight for the first time since Round 7 this season following their loss to the Kangaroos last Saturday night.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Decorated Lions co-captain Luke Power's 200th game celebrations were soured when the Hawks prevailed by 12 points in a high quality contest at the Gabba.

For the first three quarters of the contest, there were plenty of lead changes as the Lions went goal-for-goal with the Hawks.

The match gradually evolved into a shoot-out between the respective forwards as Daniel Bradshaw and Hawthorn's Lance Franklin dominated in attack for their respective teams.

Bradshaw kept the Lions in the contest for most of the night and continued to show no ill effects from his knee reconstruction finishing with seven goals.

However, the Hawks were able to hold on and win by just two straight kicks courtesy of an outstanding eight-goal performance from freakish forward 'Buddy' Franklin.

Simon Black and 200-gamer Power were outstanding in the midfield while Joel Macdonald continued his impressive form across half-back.